


Happy with Someone

by Impala_Chick



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Age Difference, Dancing, Dating, Established Relationship, Getting to Know Each Other, Happy Ending, M/M, Military Uniforms, Party, Post-Avengers (2012)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2019-12-27 00:22:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18293102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Chick/pseuds/Impala_Chick
Summary: Steve gets invited to the US Army Ball in New York, but doesn't want to go alone. It turns out that Tony makes a great date.





	Happy with Someone

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pyrrhical (anoyo)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anoyo/gifts).



> I really wanted to contrast their differing levels of life experience here, and also explore Steve's observations of Tony in relation to Howard as he gets to know Tony more. A lot of your prompts really fit my head canon of them, so I hope you enjoy!

Steve kept sliding his fingers over his palms, feeling the sweat accumulating there. He wondered if his nervousness was because he hadn’t been in his dress uniform since the middle of the war, or if it had more to do with the fact that Tony was on his way to pick him up. 

Once he’d been invited, the prospect of going to the US Army Ball and sitting in the retiree section by himself did not seem appealing in the least. But SHIELD already had a dress uniform ready for him when he woke up, and he hadn’t had to buy anything or dig up the old uniform regs in order to attend. He’d casually mentioned it to Tony, and Tony had agreed to go with him. Steve knew Tony was well versed in attending big social events, considering there were endless videos and images of Tony at galas and balls plastered all over the internet. But at those events Tony gave interviews and made bold, self-centered statements, and Steve had the vague worry that tonight Tony was going to get out of hand. 

He stood outside the SHIELD facilities, grateful that he didn’t see anyone else around. He wasn’t actively trying to keep his relationship with Tony a secret, but he also wasn’t keen on making everyone aware of it. 

Steve heard Tony’s car approach before he saw him. The car engine was loud and sounded expensive, and Steve cringed. He doubted he was going to be able to make a quiet exit or entrance if they arrived in that. Tony whipped around the driveway and pulled up in front of Steve before cutting the engine. 

Steve was briefly reminded of Howard, because that type of showboating was exactly something he would do. And then Tony emerged from the black convertible, and Steve felt his breath catch in his throat. 

Tony was wearing a black tuxedo and black bow-tie, and his hair was gelled lightly. The wind passed through it as Tony walked towards Steve with a huge smile on his face. Tony walked with his head held high, completely composed and graceful and _genuine_. He didn’t look like Howard at all. 

“Hey,” Tony said simply. Steve noticed Tony giving him a once-over, and stood up just a little taller to make himself look more impressive.

“Hey yourself. You look great,” Steve said.

“Likewise.” Tony smiled gently and offered his arm. Steve laughed, but hooked his hand around Tony’s elbow anyway. Considering that he and Tony’s “dates” had mostly consisted of ordering in and debriefing after missions, this was completely new territory and Steve was grateful that Tony was taking the lead.

Tony opened the door for him and Steve slid into the passenger’ seat, careful to pull the seat belt over his ribbon rack to buckle in. Tony got behind the wheel, glanced over at him once with a dangerous grin, and put his foot to the gas pedal, and Steve rolled his eyes in mock exasperation as Tony floored it. They didn’t have far to go, but Tony seemed to be determined to get there as fast as possible.

“So tell me about how you want this night to go? What are your expectations?” Tony shouted over the roar of the wind in their ears, once they were on the freeway. 

Steve tilted his head, unsure at first of what to say. 

“Are you talking about my expectations for the Army Ball? Or for us?” Steve asked. Better to put everything out in the open, and get to the heart of what Tony was asking, rather than misstep and say something stupid.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, big guy. The Army Ball. How do you want to play it?” Tony was resolutely staring at the road. 

“Play it?” Steve asked, confused. “And you don’t have to shout. Super soldier hearing,” Steve reminded him.

Tony glanced over at him then. “Right,” he said in a normal tone of voice. “I mean, do you want to generate press from this? Anyone in particular we should try to impress?” 

Steve was reminded of his USO Bond tour, and of Howard, as he thought about Tony’s questions. Every social event had been a chance to grease the wheels of a certain relationship, or draw attention to your brand, or drum up support. Steve never thought of things like that, not unless he was instructed to. He realized a big part of Howard’s life, and now Tony’s, was spent cultivating a public persona. 

“I was invited and I’d feel rude turning it down. They always invite retirees from the area to the Army Ball, and after that ceremony where they gave me retiree status, I feel obligated to at least show support,” Steve explained.

Tony glanced over at him again, trying to hide his smile, as he exited the freeway. 

“What?” Steve asked, suddenly self-conscious.

“This is our first public outing together, you know. There might be press,” Tony pointed out. “It’ll be fine, Steve. I’m not trying to make you nervous, I just wanted you to be prepared.”

Steve sighed. And then he reached over and squeezed Tony’s shoulder. 

“I don’t care. Let’s just try to fly under the radar? Tonight should be about us having a good time, okay?”

“Okay,” Tony agreed. Tony pulled up to the hotel, and a valet walked up to take his keys. Steve glanced around, but thankfully didn’t see any cameras or reporters. 

“Careful with the NSX,” Tony chastised gently to the valet while Steve got out of the car. He left his cover on the front seat, since there was no need to wear it inside, and stood by the doors.

Steve felt his hands getting increasingly clammy, but didn’t wipe them on his uniform. He could feel Tony approach and stand by his side without looking over. He took a deep breath.

“Ready?” Tony asked. Steve nodded, and noticed that Tony didn’t reach out to touch him this time. Steve only hesitated for a moment before he put out his arm for Tony to take. The days of _don’t ask, don’t tell_ were over, and after everything they had done, together, for New York and for their country, Steve wasn’t going to let himself be ashamed of _Tony_. Tony’s face studied Steve’s for a moment before he threaded his arm through Steve’s, and then he smiled softly, clearly pleased. Steve walked them through the big glass doors of the hotel, proud of himself for putting that look on Tony’s face. Maybe Steve wasn’t one to big announcements or go on more press tours, but at least he could do this small gesture for Tony. 

They headed down the escalator without saying anything, but Steve noticed people staring at both of them. He couldn’t blame them as he glanced over at Tony. The soft ambiance of the hotel illuminated Tony’s striking features and the streaks of gray in his sideburns, and he walked with the poise and grace of an experienced socialite. Steve nearly envied him for how calm he was even in the face of public scrutiny. 

They made it to the line in front of the check-in table before people started coming up to them. But Steve was relieved to find that the atmosphere was entirely friendly. Numerous Army Captains, Colonels, and Sergeants just wanted to shake his hand. Most of them glanced over Tony without recognizing who he was, which was quite shocking in and of itself. Once at the front of the line, a woman passed him two place cards with their table numbers printed on them, and Steve passed Tony’s place card to him.

“Wow, how does it feel to be more famous than me?” Tony teased as they made their way over to the hors d'oeuvre table. 

“Weird. You’ll have to coach me,” Steve said under his breath as he grabbed a small plate.

“You’re doing just fine. Can I get you a drink?” Tony asked. Steve nodded, and then watched as Tony walked over to the bar. Steve couldn’t help but stare at the way his black pants hugged his ass and gave Steve a fantastic view. Then someone came up on his right side, excited to meet him, and Steve turned with a smile to greet whoever it was. He was deep in conversation with a bald Army retiree about the modern Army PT test by the time Tony came back and held out Steve’s drink. 

“Hate to interrupt, but I think it’s time to take our seats,” Tony said politely. Steve smiled and nodded at the older man, and excused himself to follow Tony into the dining hall. 

“How’s it going so far?” Tony asked quietly, his lips close to Steve’s ear as they walked. 

“That man was nice, but I did appreciate the rescue,” Steve said, and then reached down and squeezed Tony’s hand. 

Tony smiled warmly at him and then quickened his pace in order to reach the table before Steve did. He pulled out Steve’s chair for him, his eyes sparkling and clearly amused. 

“Thank you, Mr. Stark,” Steve said with a nod. He was thankful no one else was at their table yet, because having other people stare at him would have surely made his blush more colorful than it already was. 

Tony leaned down to help Steve scoot his chair under the table, and his breath tickled Steve’s ear as he said, “You’re welcome, Captain.” Tony’s way with words was quite astounding, considering he could make _you’re welcome_ sound like a promise and a dirty invitation.

An older gentleman in the army uniform approached the table, his gray-haired wife on his arm, so Steve did not have a chance to respond. Tony took his seat to Steve’s right, and greeted the couple as they sat down. They introduced themselves as Gertrude and Richard, and not even five minutes later Tony had them in peals of laughter about the table decor. Steve glanced over at Tony and marveled at him, with his head thrown back and the laugh lines standing out around his eyes. Steve committed the image of Tony like that, happy and carefree, to memory.

Steve joined in on the conversation as others joined their table, relieved that everyone was less inclined to make small talk and more inclined to discuss modern conveniences and the wonders of the internet. He laughed at Gertrude’s tale about the first time she used Amazon, and asked them all about the music they liked so he could add to his list. He felt his shoulders relax as he realized he fit right in, and he glanced over at Tony, beaming. Soon after that, he felt Tony squeeze his thigh under the table, and Steve didn’t look over at him for fear that what he was thinking would be written all over his face. And what he was thinking was not fit to share with present company. 

The Army band stopped playing so the master of ceremonies could introduce the official party, and then the four-star Army General spoke briefly before dinner was served. Steve was thankful he didn’t mention him, or the Avengers, directly. Instead, he spoke of partnerships with extraordinary individuals, and how even when facing new threats from outer space, the Army was developing new technologies to fight America’s adversaries and would forge new partnerships with those ready to be Army Strong. It was mostly platitudes, and Steve was well-versed by now in taking such speeches with a grain of salt, but he still felt a sense of patriotism stirring in his chest. He wondered what Tony thought of the whole thing, but when he glanced over, Tony was just watching him, his face contemplative. 

Once dinner was served, their table was back to chatting and laughing and the noise level in the room swelled as hundreds of people dug into their pot roast or salmon. Steve snuck a glance at Tony’s plate when he realized he did not remember how to eat at a formal dinner. Tony was confident with the way he handled his fork and knife. He nudged Steve with his elbow when he caught him looking, and then leaned over to whisper in Steve’s ear.

“Look at our new friends, Cap. They aren’t even using the butter knife to butter their bread. They won’t mind if you eat how you want.”

Steve glanced around at the table, and he saw one of them rest their knife against the lip of their plate, and another rest their knife across the top of the plate facing the wrong way, and Steve realized he was getting hung up on things that didn’t even matter.

“You’re right,” Steve said. 

“I usually am.” Tony winked like the smug bastard he was, and Steve bit his lip before he pointedly turned to the man on his left to strike up a conversation. He heard Tony laugh under his breath, and then turned to the person on his right to pick up their conversation where they’d left off. Steve felt older, more sophisticated, from the ease with which he and Tony were handling themselves at the dinner table. He realized he never should have doubted Tony in the first place.

Once everyone had eaten, the Army band played the new army song. Everyone in uniform stood up, and Steve did not know the lyrics, but neither did most of the retirees at his table. He let Richard lean on him so that he could stay standing, and Steve started to feel like he was apart of something bigger than himself again, and it was strange how he mostly felt proud that Tony was here to see him like this, in his element. After the song came the toasts, and the master of ceremonies invited a few people to the microphone. Everyone else in the room stood up. Tony handed Steve a glass of wine, after filling it from the bottle at their table. Everyone in the room followed along, and the crowd cheered and yelled _Hooah_ , and clinked their glasses after each toast in unison. Tony leaned over to whisper in Steve’s ear, “You military types are so well behaved.”

“This is just a more civilized drinking game,” Steve whispered back. Tony’s eyes widened and he nodded conspiratorially, and by the end of the tenth toast, both of their glasses were empty and Steve’s mouth tasted of wine. 

The master of ceremonies concluded the official program, and everyone clapped as the DJ started setting up at the edge of the dance floor. Steve started to say goodbye to Richard and Gertrude, fully expecting to leave now that they didn’t have to stay any longer. But Gertrude raised her eyebrow at him.

“Really? You’re going to leave without showing your date a good time, now that all the stuffy parts are over?” She teased, gesturing over to Tony as she spoke. 

“Well when you put it like that, Ma’am.” Steve glanced over at Tony, who was smiling mischievously, like he’d put her up to it. 

“You’re the youngest retiree here, Captain. You better get out there and represent the rest of us,” Richard added. 

Tony had already gotten up from his chair, and his hand was outstretched. Steve took it, even though his heart was suddenly hammering in his chest. This felt like something dangerous, something he wasn't supposed to do. But it also felt like an opportunity. His body rose of its own volition, and then Tony was steering him towards the dance floor.

His hand settled at the small of Steve’s back, and he leaned over to talk, his voice soft. 

“You’ll be fine. I’ll lead. Unless you really don’t want to,” Tony said.

Steve hesitated for a moment, but then he saw other people stepping onto the dance floor, smiling and swaying with their partners, and he was reminded how proud he felt earlier, with Tony watching him, and he wasn’t afraid anymore.

“Just don’t leave me,” Steve blurted out in answer. Tony paused and bit his lip, thoughtful. Or maybe surprised. Once Steve had said it, the double meaning of Steve’s statement seemed obvious. Tony skillfully positioned Steve’s body so that they were face to face, his right hand in Tony’s and his left hand curled around Tony’s waist. 

“Eyes on me, okay?” Tony said, his voice just a bit shaky. Steve realized he was watching their shoes, and raised his chin. He breathed in, the song changed to something softer and older and a bit romantic, and Tony moved them both in a slow glide in rhythm with the song. Steve kept up the best he could, his feet sliding along the floor. It was easier if he watched Tony’s face, because then he didn’t think, he just _moved_.

Tony watched over Steve’s shoulder, mindful of the other people on the dance floor so that they didn’t crash into anybody. Steve could barely focus on following Tony’s lead while Tony’s fingers remained warm and firm against his back, so we he was thankful that Tony was so good at multitasking. The song soon transitioned into another one, and Tony changed their pace slightly but otherwise kept up their easy swaying movements. Steve leaned into Tony’s hand, and smiled down at him with a happy sigh. Tony made it all seem so easy. 

“How’s it going, big guy?” Tony asked softly, his eyes bright. 

“I should have known you would be good at this,” Steve said, his eyes locked on Tony’s. Tony huffed a laugh and ducked his head a little, and Steve thought he saw him blushing. Modesty looked good on Tony, even though Steve was surprised by it.

“Really? This can’t be news to you that you’re a good dancer. I’m sure countless people have let you know,” Steve teased, pressing his advantage.

“That’s true, my utterly inhuman level of sophistication has impressed many,” Tony sassed back, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Then he paused a moment before continuing, watching Steve’s face.

“Just not you before,” Tony added, just a little breathless.

 _You impress me all the time_ was the first thought that came to mind. The second was, _god, you’re beautiful_. But neither seemed heavy enough to match the truth Tony had just shared. Steve wanted to enjoy the intimacy, let it linger between them, let Tony track his face and bite his lip and make butterflies flutter in Steve’s stomach. 

So instead of talking, Steve took control of the dance, feeling at least confident enough to copy what Tony had showed him. He heard Tony gasp, his eyes wide as they both misstepped at first until Tony realized what Steve as doing. Steve moved his hand to Tony’s back, and Tony curled his fingers around Steve’s hip. Steve swung them around, happy that he’d made Tony look both surprised and amused. Tony started to laugh, and Steve started to laugh too, and they danced until the music turned into something extremely modern and Steve asked for a break.

As they made their way back to their table, Steve saw Gertrude and Richard getting up and gathering their bags and programs. 

“Leaving us already?” Tony asked, as charming as ever. Gertrude smiled and put out her hand for Tony to kiss, and Tony leaned down to whisper something in her ear that made her smile. Steve reached out and shook Richard’s hand before handing him his cane, and returned Richard’s smile easily, like they were old friends already.

Gertrude hugged Steve and kissed him on the cheek. 

“Have a good night, boys.” Gertrude winked at them, Richard stuck out his arm for Gertrude to loop her elbow through, and then they waved and walked towards the exit.

Steve took his seat and waited for Tony to settle into his before he leaned over.

“Can you imagine yourself, years down the road, being like them?” Steve asked, curious. Aging was a foreign concept to Steve now that he’d been brought back to life in a totally different world, but the happiness between Richard and Gertrude, after having lived so long together, was enviable. 

“Do you mean using a cane? Or happy with someone?” Tony asked.

“But aren’t you?” Steve pressed, suddenly unsure of whether Tony was trying to allude to some deficiency in their relationship. 

“What, old already? Or happy with someone?” Now Steve could tell that Tony was joking by the sarcasm in his voice. 

“You know what I mean, Tony,” Steve huffed, slightly exasperated. 

“Steve, don’t worry so much. I am,” Tony paused, his face serious. “Happy, I mean.” Tony’s gaze didn’t waver from Steve’s face, and Steve felt himself on the verge of making a few very serious admissions. But then Tony took a deep breath, put out his hand, and saved Steve the embarrassment. 

“Shall we dance again?” Tony asked. Steve gladly laced his fingers through Tony’s and stood up, and Tony beamed. Happiness was a good look on him.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[ART] for Happy with Someone](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20371114) by [tunastork (mariexa)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariexa/pseuds/tunastork)




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